International Symposium on Koi Herpesvirus Disease
- Strategy for Koi Herpesvirus Disease Control -
The International Symposium on Koi Herpesvirus Disease was organised jointly by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Japan's Fisheries Research Agency (FRA), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in Yokohama, Japan on 13 March 2004.
The Symposium was attended by about 300 participants from 14 countries including Cambodia, China (People's Republic of), Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, USA and Vietnam, and international organisations including OIE and SEAFDEC.
Mass mortality of Koi and carps caused by the Koi Herpesvirus Disease (KHVD) was reported in Asia, namely in Indonesia in 2002 and in Japan in 2003, giving serious economic losses of aquaculture industry, while the disease had ever been reported in Israel, European countries and the United States before.
As for Japan, Koi herpesvirus was designated as a specific disease under the Law to Ensure Sustainable Aquaculture Protection in June 2003 because it could result in a serious damage. With the massive death of carp in Lakes Kasumigaura and Kitaura in Ibaraki Prefecture in early October 2003, the occurrence of KHVD was confirmed for the first time in Japan, and MAFF requested every prefecture in the country to check KHVD and to take appropriate preventive measures against its spread according to the said Law.
The International Symposium on Koi Herpesvirus Disease was held to provide updated information on and to discuss the control of KHVD with appropriate preventive measures against its spread.
Prof. R. Hedrick of University of California, USA, who had succeeded in isolation of the virus from the occurrences in USA and Israel, presented his keynote paper on "Initial Isolation and Characterization of a Herpes-like Virus (KHV) from Koi and Common Carp". Speakers from KHVD experienced countries including Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Netherlands and USA reported KHVD cases and control measures in their respective countries.
Experts in research and other related fields exchanged the latest information on the disease including control measures. The Symposium actively discussed the significance of research work, particularly to make clear known and unknown areas of research, the immunity mechanism in hosts, ecosystems and the disease spread, diagnosis/surveillance, and also the importance of control measures taken, inactivation and disinfection of fish viruses, and of cooperation between related organisations including international collaboration.